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- Movie theaters are changing, and that means once-popular concession candies like Red Vines, Sugar Babies, and Goobers are becoming harder to find.
- In an effort to modernize, cinemas are offering more expansive menus like gourmet pizzas and specialty cocktails.
- Luckily, many of these nostalgic confections are still available at specialty stores and online. Some independent theaters might still carry them.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
If you’re old enough, you may remember that old cartoon where anthropomorphic concession-stand products ushered moviegoers to the lobby for snacks, singing "Let’s all go to the lobby."
That cartoon, like many aspects of movie theaters, is a thing of the past. Cinemas have been forced to modernize to compete with more entertainment options, especially streaming services like Netflix. More theater chains are now offering payment subscriptions for loyal fans and changing up their menu with specialty cocktails and high-end meals like gourmet pizzas.
But don’t worry, popcorn isn’t going anywhere (in fact, it’s been a movie-theater staple since the Great Depression). While theaters will likely never run out of popcorn, some candies that used to be concession-stand staples are now harder to find.
Classics like Sno-Caps, Milk Duds, and Junior Mints might still be around, but others are slowly being displaced by these expansive menus. Many of the candies on this list are still found in specialty shops and independent movie theaters, though, so your local cinema might still stock enough Red Vines to sustain itself for years.
Here are 11 once-popular candies that are harder to find at the movies these days.
Red Vines
Al Case/Flickr/CC 2.0 Attribution
These proto-Twizzlers date back to 1914, when the American Licorice Company was founded in Chicago. That year, Black Licorice Vines were first to be sold, until Classic Raspberry Vines debuted in 1920.
Red Vines as we know them today are essentially the same as Classic Raspberry Vines — they were rebranded in 1952.
Jujyfruits
Wikimedia Commons
Jujyfruits, the original gummy fruit-flavored candies, were first made in 1920 by Ferrara Candy Company. These were once so ubiquitous in movie theaters, they were used as a joke in an episode of "Seinfeld."
If you were ever curious, its shapes are Asparagus Bundle, Banana, Grape Bundle, Pea Pod, Pineapple, Raspberry, and Tomato. Luckily, the shapes don’t correspond to its flavors at all. That red one isn’t tomato-flavored, for example — it’s raspberry.
Jujubes
Wikimedia Commons
Jujubes, the sister candy of Jujyfruits, also began production in 1920 by Ferrara Candy Company. The main difference with Jujubes is their harder texture and uniform shape.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – ideluce@businessinsider.com (Ivan De Luce)